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Fourth Battle of Yeltsin's Star
The Fourth Battle of Yeltsin's Star, commonly abreviated to Fourth Yeltsin, took place on 18 August 1907 PD between Task Force 14 of the People's Navy under Vice Admiral Alexander Thurston and elements of the Grayson Space Navy under the command of Admiral Honor Harrington. It was the part of Havenite Operation Dagger. Strategic situation Both commanders were under considerable constraints. Harrington had been moderately injured in a pinnace crash and then faced a sword duel in front of the Conclave of Steadholders less than a day before the battle. Although she was understandably exhausted, her problems were at least known to her. Thurston's plan of attack was contingent upon previous PN attacks on Candor and Minette having drawn all eleven of the GSN's ''Manticore's Gift''-class superdreadnoughts out of the system and he was to learn the truth, that only the Second Battle Squadron had been drawn away, far too late to save his command. Course of battle Harrington deduced this miscalculation on her opponent's part and brought her forces out to meet him, masking her superdreadnought's emissions with smaller units and stealth as well as maintaining a rate of acceleration that Thurston, unaware of the improvements to their inertial compensators, believed would be impossible for such heavy units. Before the enagagement Task Groups 14.2 and 14.3 were detached to make a similar attack on the Endicott picketwhich saved them in result. It was after this point that Lieutenant Shannon Foraker aboard the light cruiser [[PNS Vaubon|PNS Vaubon]] noted anomalies in the GSN formation and reported them to Commander Warner Caslet who in turn notified Thurston. This information reached the flag bridge almost simultaneously with both sides opening fire at a range of nine million kilometers. Because of their more powerful vessels and large numbers (for the time) of missile pods, the initial GSN salvo was of approximately fourteen hundred missiles spread across twelve of Thurston's battleships, including his flagship. In return the PN wall of battle fired only seven hundred missiles, spread evenly across the battlecruisers and superdreadnoughts of their opponents. Several more broadsides (without pods to thicken them) were fired before the first salvos struck. Thurston was able to order subsequent salvos to concentrate upon the superdreadnoughts. As a result, only six GSN battlecruisers were destroyed along with a single superdreadnought ([[GNS Glorious|GNS Glorious]]) during the missile engagement. However, twelve PN battleships (including Thurston's flagship [[PNS Conquistador|PNS Conquistador]] were destroyed or disabled in the opening salvo and five more by GSN fire before the two sides entered energy range (their formations would actually interpenetrate) at which point only one battleship ([[PNS Vindicator|PNS Vindicator]]) survived to join the lighter units that were by now making for the hyperlimit. Thomas Theisman, his own Task Group still being unscathed, proposed and then attempted to close in to engage the now damaged GSN force but agreed with People's Commissioner Denis LePic to withdraw when Battlecruiser Squadron One approached using drones to simulate a RMN battle squadron supporting them. ( ) Order of battle People's Navy Task Force 14, CO Vice Admiral Alexander Thurston † * Task Group 14.1 (direct participant), CO Rear Admiral Meredith Chavez † ** three battleship squadrons ** a battlecruiser squadron * Task Group 14.2, CO Rear Admiral Thomas Theisman ** a battleship squadron, CO Rear Admiral Thomas Theismansupposition ** a battlecruiser squadron * Task Group 14.3, CO Rear Admiral Chernov ** a battlecruiser squadron, CO Rear Admiral Chernovsupposition ** transports * screening elements (not certain how divided between task groups) ** heavy cruiser screening element - equivalent of three squadrons ** light cruiser screening element ** destroyer screening element Grayson Space Navy Task group of the Grayson Space Navy, CO Admiral Honor Harrington * Battle Squadron 1, CO Admiral Honor Harrington * a half of the Battlecruiser Squadron 2 * two other battlecruiser squadrons * heavy cruiser screening elementa squadron equivalent * light cruiser screening element * destroyer screening element * Battlecruiser Squadron 1 (indirect participant), CO Commodore Mark Brentworth It is not certain exactly what units had been assigned from the RMN, but very likely - not battlecruisersGSN supported nearly Endicott picket with at least 4 battlecruisers. Aftermath Admiral Harrington was awarded Crossed Swords to her Star of Grayson. ( ) References Yeltsin's Star, Fourth Battle of Yeltsin's Star, Fourth Battle of Yeltsin's Star, Fourth Battle of Yeltsin's Star, Fourth Battle of